Connections in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death book 48. Piatkus, 2019. ISBN: 9780349422015.
(Age: Adult) Themes: Crime, Gangs, Detectives. Roberts has written a very gripping police procedural in the 48th book in the In Death series. This time the action centres on gang warfare. Dallas is called into the case of the death of Lyle Pickering, a recovering drug addict and gang member, who had turned his life around with the help of his sister child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering. Roarke has just employed Rochelle in their new youth shelter, so there is a connection for Eve as she and her team become involved in the drug scene and follow the trail of the pink haired girl who was seen going into Lyle's apartment.
This is a gritty novel that describes in detail the impact of drugs and gangs on neighbourhoods and the people who live in them. It also examines the difficulties that addicts have when trying to make a new life. The reader knows quite early on who is most likely to have organised the murders and the motive for the killings, and the novel concentrates on the way that Eve and her team go about solving the homicides and bringing the suspects to justice.
Readers who enjoy the In Death series will be happy to follow their favourite familiar characters Dallas, Roarke and Peabody especially as Roberts has once again found a new angle for her plot. This is an absorbing crime thriller and fans will look forward to more in the series.
Pat Pledger